List of Paranoia Agent characters
This is a character guide for the series Paranoia Agent; for more information on the series and its content, please see the main article. As Paranoia Agent is an extremely character driven story, and the characters tend to shift from in and out of the main focus often the characters will be listed in roughly their order of appearance. As there are more than usual, the central characters will be looked at more than the background or filler characters here as well. Major characters Recurring characters These major characters have recurring roles throughout the series. While other characters may receive the spotlight for an episode, these characters remain pivotal even when they only appear in the background; their relevance to the plot and subplots of Paranoia Agent cannot be overestimated. The mysterious old man First seen writing a series of extremely complex mathematical equations on the asphalt, this sage is doubtless the most mysterious human character in the whole series. He previews each upcoming episode in prophetic visions (which are labeled as such), is able to intuit who is going to be Lil' Slugger's next victim, and appears to have an overarching, indeed archetypal understanding of what's going on with the plot (and for most of the series, he seems to be the only one). He also seems to have the rather bizarre power to go in and out of reality and delusion. While this may initially seem to be a sign of senility, the conclusions he ever so cryptically and poetically hints at always bear fruit, albeit in 20/20 hindsight. He makes a profound mystical connection with Mitsuhiro Maniwa as the series nears its climax, and also has a hand in helping Misae Ikari to find her husband, which in turn helps him to get back to reality. His family is present at his deathbed (as is Maromi), but other than that very little in the way of backstory is provided for him in the series. It is hinted Kawazu had accidentally hit him with a car prior to the series, hence his permanent stay at the hospital. He dies in the penultimate episode, more or less likely from the combined effects of the car accident and old age, but not before passing on his mantle as psychopomp to Maniwa. Tsukiko Sagi Tsukiko Sagi (鷺 月子 Sagi Tsukiko) is one of the central characters in the plot. She is rather lackadaisical, prone to daydreaming, and never seems to be quite completely "there", possibly indicating an avoidant personality disorder. She is a character designer who has created a Hello Kitty esque mascot known as Maromi; Tsukiko always keeps her plush toy Maromi on her person. Ever since her Maromi design she never seriously takes her job to design a new character, no matter how much she is asked by her superiors to submit a new design. She is the Lil' Slugger's first apparent victim in the series, and the catalyst which jump-starts the plot. When Detectives Ikari and Maniwa are brought in and Tsukiko is questioned, she seems to become even more introverted than before; Ikari suspects that she may be withholding information. As it turns out, he's more correct than he could ever have imagined. The actions of Tsukiko Sagi are a major mover throughout the series. She often speaks with her Maromi plushie, who more and more often magically comes to life – Maromi is in practice her familiar. In any case this apparition gives the viewer yet more evidence that something is not quite right with Tsukiko. Tsukiko's name means "Moon Child" or "Little Moon", a reference to the Japanese folklore tale of the Kaguya Hime; in some languages, "little moon" is also the term for "lunacy." Her last name, Sagi, references a type of bird. Birds are often associated with being a free spirit, but also being hopelessly awkward and strange. It has also been suggested that the combination of her full name, read in Western order (Tsukiko Sagi), can be analogous to the English term "looney bird", making another pun in reference to lunacy. It is interesting to note that "Sagi" is also Japanese for "fraud", which explains much of how Lil' Slugger is later revealed as being created. Lil' Slugger Lil' Slugger (Shōnen Bat in the original Japanese, lit. "Bat Boy") is the central figure of the series. Apparently a juvenile, he goes around on golden inline skates attacking people who are in extremis with a matching gold-colored metal baseball bat, bent at a 45-degree angle (described in the series "like a dog's leg," or, in the original Japanese as like the "ku" character). He is identified by his trademark demented grin and baseball cap festooned with an upside-down peace symbol, a smiley-face, and a chemical weapon warning symbol. Although he seems to be nothing more than a misguided juvenile delinquent, there is also something very out of the ordinary about this attacker. Initially the reasons for his attacks are taken to be the central mystery of the plot, but this proves to be a MacGuffin; his actual nature is far more archetypal. In "Radar Man", he incarnates as a giant, black, inchoate, pulsating "blob" which is seemingly destroyed at the climax of the series. Detective Keiichi Ikari Detective Ikari (猪狩慶一 Ikari Kei'ichi) is one of two police detectives assigned to investigate the attacks by the Lil' Slugger; he typically plays the bad cop to Maniwa's good cop. Stoic and somewhat old-fashioned, he often expresses nostalgia for what he imagines to be the simpler, less hurried times. As Ikari and Maniwa investigate further into the case, Ikari begins to find himself more and more at a loss at the cascade of increasingly bizarre events and begins to think of himself as outdated. His desire for the good old days eventually gets the better of him and he is eventually thrown into an alternate dimension which mirrors this desire. In a two-dimensional, rustic, older version of Tokyo, Keiichi finds a stop-gap peace; but he is in fact being imprisoned by Maromi who is manipulating him in order to give Tsukiko a world for which to escape. It is only with the help of his critically ill wife Misae that Ikari is finally able to break free of this fake world and help resolve the plot's climax. The resolution to his existential crisis is arguably the most touching human event in the whole series. Ikari's name contains the character for "boar", an animal known to represent stubbornness and sticking to one way. Detective Mitsuhiro Maniwa Young, idealistic, and a flexible thinker, Maniwa is the perfect complement as well as foil to the more rustic Keīchi Ikari. While Keīchi seems hell-bent on blaming the current times, Maniwa is more open to the concept of changing times and as such, tends to resort to more unconventional solutions and theories. He typically plays the good cop to Ikari's bad cop. A very promising, up-and-coming detective, Maniwa has the chops to deal with the out of this world Lil' Slugger case. Maniwa proves to be a little too experimental for a career in the Tokyo police force, however. Maniwa feels strangely connected to the Mysterious Old Man upon first interaction, and begins a bizarre bond with him which leads to him to don superhero guise late in the series. For more information on Maniwa's activities after this point, see the entry for Radar Man, below. The first character of Maniwa's surname, ma, means "Horse." He is also the "Horse" who makes a brief appearance in the chatroom in Episode 8. Maromi Maromi (マロミ) is a popular Sanrio-esque mascot created by Tsukiko Sagi. A pink dog with big black eyes and droopy ears, Maromi is extremely cute in appearance, although the design can also be rather (intentionally) creepy partially due to the large, staring eyes and from Maromi sharing a shape similar to that of a mushroom cloud. Although at first glance nothing more than a simple series of toys and merchandise, Maromi soon proves to be something much, much more. Initially the Maromi plushie which Tsukiko carries just comes to life and converses with her, more often than not to advise her to not listen to what's going on and generally being overprotective. In this guise Maromi functions both as a familiar and as an unhealthy self-defense mechanism. As the series progresses Maromi's popularity begins to increase at an alarming rate. Although at first seemingly harmless, the "Maromi Mania" meme is soon shown to be a dangerous fad in as much as it has seemingly brainwashed nearly every resident of Tokyo into furiously grasping for Maromi merchandise. Near the end of the series, all of the Maromi merchandise mysteriously disappears all at once, sinking the public even deeper into delusion, in fact a folie à plusieurs, desperately seeking all things Maromi in a search for "comfort." The reasons behind this, as well the reason behind Maromi's reified existence, is the actual pivot of Paranoia Agent. To Maromi's credit, it does come to the actual, licit defense of Tsukiko and Ikari at the very climax of the series in a scene replete with symbolism. The old woman A very short, homeless elderly woman, she was at first a minor suspect in the case in as much as her shelter was close to the first attack. She is later revealed to not have been involved in any of the attacks at all, but after some convincing (and more than a few cigarettes) she does provide the detectives Maniwa and Ikari with a startling and shocking revelation, for she was a witness to what really happened at the very beginning. Her extended family broke up after a company collapse, and she longs to see her grandchild again. She is seen by Taeko in a storm drain drowning after her makeshift house was destroyed in the same storm, and afterwards was reunited with her granddaughter in a hospital Misae Ikari Although she only appears late in the series, Misae is a character who has one of the greatest impacts on the plot of Paranoia Agent. Misae is physically inept, as she was born with a weak body. Amidst the increasingly ridiculous and paranoid stories about Lil' Slugger and obsession over Maromi all around her, Misae is first seen walking home in the beginning of the episode. She comes home to a frightening surprise as the Lil' Slugger is waiting for her at home. While most would be scared or maybe relieved, Misae seems unamused and commands Lil' Slugger to sit down and listen to her story. Lil' Slugger seems powerless against her, and is forced to sit down. Misae for the duration of the episode, engages in a fierce spiritual and mental duel with Lil' Slugger. Misae explains that she is in fact, the wife of Detective Ikari, who was discharged from the police sometime between Episode 7 and the present for the whole scandal involving Lil' Slugger. Misae was born with cardiovascular disease, which prevents the major organs from functioning properly due to lack of proper blood intake. This means she cannot bear children, and will be doomed to live a shorter life than most. As Lil' Slugger sees this despair as an opportunity to strike, Misae stops him suddenly by saying that despite all this pain, Keiichi and herself have managed to brave the harsh times. The rest of the conversation goes on similar to this, as Misae looks through the events of her life. Eventually when she admits that she wishes she would die because she feels she is a burden on Keiichi, Lil' Slugger grows twice as large and begins to try to attack Misae, but Misae can only laugh at him, claiming that she finds him pathetic. Although Misae did wish she would die for a moment, she admits that she was a fool for doing so, and that wishing herself to die would betray her husband and how much work he has done for her. She claims that she will never leave his side no matter what, and begins to talk down the Lil' Slugger, saying what she thinks he truly is. She goes on to say that he and Maromi are the same, nothing more than cruel trickery on the human soul which is far stronger and more resilient than they seem to think. This seems to hurt Lil' Slugger to the point where he is expelled from her house, as Misae reaches a state of understanding finally. Her resolution, sadly, comes too late as she has a heart attack from her illness, but not before her soul, with the help of the Old Man, goes on to heroically save her husband who was trapped in a parallel universe by Maromi. To contrast her weakened body, Misae is arguably the strongest willed character in the series. Radar Man Radar Man is Mitsuhiro Maniwa post-episode 7. In a bizarre turn of events, Maniwa has donned a raggedy cloak, a hat and a pair of goggles and now thinks he is some kind of superhero destined to defeat Lil' Slugger. Either he has succumbed to his obsession with the case, or his contact with the Mysterious Old Man has somehow warped his mind. One thing is for certain: Maniwa isn't the man he used to be. Gone is the down to earth yet inventive detective, leaving what can only be described as a delusional lunatic. Or is he? The fate of Maniwa/Radar Man is one of the plot's biggest mysteries. Regardless of his apparent insanity, Maniwa still uncovers more information than anyone else and actually finds the key evidence needed to resolve the nightmare. He isn't violently crazy, as he vows to Misae that he'll help find Keiichi: he's just rather severely delusional. Scenes with Maniwa/Radar Man almost humorously switch from that which is really going on, with Maniwa's true appearance, to a more action anime influenced version of reality where Maniwa resembles a dashing hero rather than someone wearing a rag. His weapons, while mighty swords to himself, are nothing more than umbrellas and baseball bats to everyone else. However, since he believes in this delusion in the same way as people believe in Lil' Slugger and Maromi, his delusions are functional in their world. Despite having become such an odd character, Maniwa seems to have a way to see certain important things no one else can. Regardless of the ridiculous guise, it seems he accomplishes more as Radar Man than as a detective. The most bizarre twist of all may be Radar Man's eventual fate after the events of the series finale. He is seen with white hair, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk and looking up at a sudden realization in the exact same manner as the Mysterious Old Man, even leading out the series with a final prophetic vision. Episodic characters These are major characters who play a large, often central role in at least one episode of the series. They often appear before or after the episode which they star in as a cameo or background character. Akio Kawazu Kawazu (川津明雄 Kawazu Akio) is a sleazy tabloid reporter who is currently stuck at a rather harsh point in his life. Heavily indebted, he is also constantly nagged at by the son of an old man (see The Mysterious Old Man, above) whom Kawazu accidentally ran over. The son demands that Kawazu pay for his father's hospital stay, and Kawazu is having a difficult time coming up with the money. In order to make some extra money, he follows the case of Tsukiko's attack at the hands of Lil' Slugger. Trailing Tsukiko, he eventually confronts her and asks her questions about the incident, questions which make Tsukiko feel uncomfortable. Shortly afterward, he is attacked by Lil' Slugger while trailing Tsukiko down an alleyway. His attack proves the Lil' Slugger attacks were not a one-time incident and that there may be a serial assailant at work. Kawazu's family name is a play on words to the Japanese word for "frog", kaeru. In Japanese folklore, frog characters are often known for being sleazy and greedy. Superficially, Kawazu also resembles a frog, and is even depicted as one later on in episode 5, "The Holy Warrior." Yuichi "Ichi" Taira The central focus of the second episode, who makes some cameos later on as well. Although at first glance a nice and helpful kid, Yuichi (鯛良優一 Taira Yūichi) (nicknamed "Ichi" – short for "Ichiban", "Number One") is really a vain, spoiled brat whose ego has been so overfilled with delusions of popularity and self-indulgence that it has made his mind weak, inflexible and delicate. As he travels with golden inline skates and wears a baseball cap (which has the New York Yankees logo on it), he is soon the subject of ostracism at his school, suspected of being Lil' Slugger. The only kid who seemingly means no harm to Yuichi is a new student from the country, Shogo Ushiyama. However, as Shōgo is also running for class president against Yuichi, Yuichi uses Shogo as a scapegoat by suspecting him of having spread the rumors of him being Lil' Slugger despite having really no evidence to prove his claims. Yuichi also can't understand how Shogo, a chubby, unathletic country bumpkin, is able to attain popularity over him. Yuichi's paranoia begins to overwhelm him as he begins to lose his grip on reality, and begins to wish for Lil' Slugger to save him by proving him not to be the perpetrator. When Shogo is attacked while walking with Yuichi, the pressure of realizing he's now clearly suspect brings Ichi to his knees. Yuichi is a perfect example of one suffering from delusions of grandeur. The first part of Taira's surname, Tai, means fish in Japanese, particularly a Red Snapper. In Japanese myth, fish creatures, although seemingly nice, were also prone to being horribly shallow creatures. In the "prophecy" at the beginning of the episode refers to a "cow stepping on a fish" (Ushiyama's nickname, Usshi, means "cow" in Japanese). This could be a nod to him becoming more popular than Yuichi. Yuichi is also depicted as a fish (the "Sky Ice" monster) in Episode 5. Shogo "Ushi" Ushiyama Shogo Ushiyama (牛山尚吾 Ushiyama Shōgo) is somewhat of the antithesis to Yuichi in episode 2. He also makes some cameos later on in the series. Shogo is a friendly, well-meaning boy who has recently moved in from the countryside and is a new student at Ichi's school. Shogo is chubby, fat, and short, and as Yuichi describes him, "He's a country bumpkin whose only merit is his academics, and he's terrible at sports because he's a sweat-covered fatty." He is, in all respects, Ichi's polar opposite, yet as Ichi's popularity wanes, Shogo's modest popularity increases. Ichi cannot understand this as Shogo is to him, the epitome of what unpopularity is. Shogo helps people out, however, and doesn't seem to think of himself nearly as much as Ichi, which becomes an endearing quality to his classmates. As Shogo is running for class president against Yuichi, the latter believes in his mind that Shogo is conspiring against him and is the one who started the rumors of Ichi being the Lil' Slugger. Ichi begins to bully Shogo but despite this, Shogo often comes to Ichi's defense claiming that the ostracism Ichi is receiving is wrong. He later reveals to Ichi while walking home that this is because he was bullied at his previous school, and his teacher recommended he transfer and start anew and think positively. He only entered the class president race to better his own self-esteem and meant no harm. Ichi however, currently in a state of paranoid denial, takes this sign of good will as an insult and begins to wish that Shogo would be attacked by the Lil' Slugger. His wish comes true for Ichi shortly after; as Yuichi was present at the time of the attack, he becomes the primary suspect. Shogo's last name, has the word "Ushi" in it, which is something of a nickname. Ushi means cow, or ox in Japanese. While there is the obvious comparison to cows and his weight, there is also the fact that in Japanese myth, cows were often associated with passiveness and timidness, but also with purity and honesty. Shogo, near the end of the episode, just before he was attacked, carries a palm tree. The significance of this is often a subject of debate. Harumi Chono Central focus of episode 3. Harumi (蝶野晴美 Chōno Harumi) is first seen in Episode 2 as Ichi's tutor. She is an "oasis for his heart", clearly an oneesama type to the youth. Although seemingly sweet and professional on the outside, she hides a dirty and disturbing secret within. Harumi suffers from dissociative identity disorder and for unknown reasons has formed a second personality known as Maria. In this guise, she is apparently an "oasis" for the heart to many more people, in a somewhat darker flipside. Maria, contrasted to law-abiding and "clean" Harumi, is a prostitute who talks much more openly, and even goes so far as to have a completely different speaking dialect. As Maria is a separate entity to Harumi within the same body, they often speak to one another via the answering machine in Harumi's apartment. Identified by a trademark pair of wigs, a (fake) mole and a completely different sense of fashion, Maria lives out her deepest desires, believing them to be the repressed wishes of Harumi. Initially, though Harumi and Maria are at odds, the latter personality wishes the best for the former. This changes, however, as Harumi is offered a marriage proposal from a fellow teacher and begins to desire an end to Maria. Throwing away Maria's clothing, and quitting her job as a sex worker, Harumi seems determined to start a new life as just herself. However, she begins to receive phone calls from Maria demanding that the latter be set free, and that Harumi is the actual fake personality. Her grip on reality begins to fluctuate rapidly as she begins to blank out often realizing her Maria persona has begun taking her over without her permission, making Harumi do things against her will. As the stress and trauma of this begins to take its toll, Harumi and Maria ultimately fight for dominance over Harumi's body as Lil' Slugger mysteriously appears. Harumi's family name has the word "Chō" in it, which is a part of the Japanese word for "butterfly." Butterflies are generally viewed as being an ugly creature who turns into a beautiful one, or a symbol of transformation and/or change. Which persona is the butterfly and which the caterpillar, however, is a heavily debated subject. Although, they may in fact each be both, as the bookish Harumi is beautiful on the inside, and, while considered pretty by the other characters, is commonly attributed to being less beautiful than Maria (who is portrayed as being ugly on the inside). Harumi and her episode are often compared to Satoshi Kon's other works, Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, not to mention Paprika, which included similar themes of a lost sense of self. Masami Hirukawa A patrol officer who is the main focus of episode 4. Masami (蛭川雅美 Hirukawa Masami) is a short, rotund man who is alluded to have supposedly captured the Lil' Slugger in the end of Episode 3. In Episode 4 we cut back to a day before, and see that Masami is anything but an honest man. Keiichi Ikari, a colleague and friend, claims that Masami had always been extremely loyal and caring for his family. While this was true before, this desire to make a better life for his family has taken a twisted turn, as Masami is now a crooked cop who takes bribes and prostitutional benefits from the Yakuza by not interfering in their prostitution ring, and also through a series of other rather sneaky methods. He claims that he has no chance of advancing any higher in his honest job, so he must do this for the sake of his family. However, it is revealed that he is doing all of this for not-quite altruistic reasons, as Masami begins to fantasize himself in the role of a classic masculine hero in old manga which he enjoys reading. He is currently in the process of building his family a new home with the money he has attained; however, he needs more and begins to buckle under the pressure as well as pressure from the Yakuza themselves when they demand the return of funds. Masami resorts to dressing as a rather hilariously stereotypical burglar, complete with colorful jump suit and face mask and begins to rob the innocent of their funds to make extra money. Eventually he begins to feel extremely ashamed of himself, but the surprises for Masami aren't over yet. Masami's last name, Hirukawa, has the word for "leech" in it. Corrupt police such as Masami are often considered leeches on society. On Internet message boards, fans have often dubbed Masami "Lolicop" due to his actions in the 6th episode. Makoto Kozuka Makoto (狐塚　誠 Kozuka Makoto) is a rather strange middle schooler whom Masami captures at the end of Episode 4, when Makoto attempts to hit him with a baseball bat. Masami, while hurt, is not knocked out and proceeds to beat him to a pulp in a rage. By pure accident, it seems he has caught the suspect many believe to be the Lil' Slugger himself. While he certainly looks the part, Ikari and Maniwa must make certain that he really is Lil' Slugger by interrogating him. As the previous victims (who have all survived their respective attacks) each identify him one by one, he explains his reasons for his attacks. Makoto believed he was living in an RPG world, where he was a heroic knight vanquishing evil monsters known as Gohma. These Gohma are in fact the victims apparently warped by Makoto's perception. Although completely perplexed by this at first, Maniwa with a bit of ingenuity, pretends to be some sort of traveling minstrel (known in classic RPGs for saving data) in Kozuka's fantasy world and follows Makoto to show him how he did each attack, as well as inadvertently admitting to his crimes. A distraught Ikari begrudgingly follows in tow. In a rather hilariously awkward series of events where the three play roles in a stereotypical RPG, with all the victims appearing as monsters eventually Maniwa and Ikari believe they have the proof they need. However, something doesn't quite fit, as shortly after, another "Lil' Slugger" attack occurs even while Makoto is in custody. Upon investigating, Maniwa finds that Shogo Ushiyama didn't fit in the overall theme of the attacks. It seems one common trait among all the victims had was an extreme level of stress, and Ushiyama was suffering from none. Makoto eventually admits to a furious Ikari that he wasn't the real Lil' Slugger, that he simply imitated the urban legend in the delusion that he is doing something right. Makoto also further explains that he only attacked Shogo and Hirukawa, no one else. However, as there is no other evidence to show that he didn't attack the others, he is charged anyway. At that point, Makoto is reduced to a disturbed and paranoid individial. Like the others who were visited by the Lil' Slugger, he is wishing for a "way out," and accordingly receives a rather cruel and final punishment from the real Lil' Slugger and is beaten to death in his cell. In the end, the case is held at a standstill and closed. Kozuka's surname contains the character for fox. It is heavily hinted that Kozuka is "Fox" in an Internet chatroom where the three main characters of Episode 8 get ideas on how to commit suicide in the same episode. Of course, the Fox is also known world wide as an animal of trickery and deception in mythos. Kozuka also faintly resembles the typical Japanese interpretation of a Fox with his up turned slanted eyes and big grin. Uchiyama (Uchi) Haruhiko in the anime/manga versions of Gokusen looks like him. Taeko Hirukawa Taeko (蛭川妙子 Hirukawa Taeko) is a teenage runaway who left her home during a rather violent storm. She is the center focus of Episode 6. Taeko is deeply disturbed by something, and constantly remembers back to happier times of her life where her father was her most cherished friend, and she trusted her family without question. Her family used to live in an apartment where they all slept in the same room. Her parents want to get a new house so she can have her own room, but she is happy with "her home" because it is where she was born. She is later revealed to be the daughter of Masami Hirukawa, who is mentioned in an earlier episode. It is revealed that the shocking reason she has run away from home is that Masami, her own father, has in fact put a hidden camera inside her room. Taeko stumbles across images of herself undressing, and doing other "personal" things, on her father's laptop personal computer while setting up a "Happy Birthday" wallpaper background as a surprise for him. She is traumatized to think that the man she trusted unquestionably could commit such a horrific act of betrayal. He calls her on her cell phone and with a vindictive tone of voice, claims she will commit suicide in order to hurt her disgusting family as her father desperately pleads for forgiveness. She also tells him she wishes that the new house will be destroyed because it isn't her home. Taeko however, sees a hallucination of herself in the river before she jumps and gets cold feet. After breaking down and wishing she could forget everything, she is greeted with one last surprise from Lil' Slugger. When she wakes up her memory of her father (and possibly everything else) is gone (amnesia). Zebra, Fuyubachi, and Kamome Zebra Fuyubachi Kamome These three are the central focus of Episode 8, the first in a trio of episodes dedicated to characters outside of the Lil' Slugger storyline. Zebra is a tall, muscular man hinted to be a homosexual. Fuyubachi is an old, wise man who is hinted to having some kind of illness requiring the use of pain-killers. And Kamome is merely a young, strange little girl. These three are Internet buddies who talk often in online chat, and have come together in the episode to meet in real life for a common purpose: They intend to commit suicide together. Rather disturbingly calm and matter-of-fact about the subject, the three attempt various methods but are always unsuccessful, constantly having a run of seemingly bad luck. Zebra and Fuyubachi are also worried about Kamome, as they had no idea that she was so young and thus try to trick her into not attempting suicide with them. In the end, the three take a trip to the country to have some fun and Fuyubachi discovers the reason why they're having trouble killing themselves: they are already dead. Evidence to support this realization lies in their ability to see the ghost of a man who was hit by a train. The three characters here reflect real-life stories of Internet suicide pacts. These pacts have become a concerning phenomenon in Japan , occurring in the country as early as 2000 and recurring many times each year. The episode that these three star in is often considered the oddest but most memorable episode in the entire series. Kamome means Seagull, Fuyubachi means Winter Bee. Zebra translates directly. The gossipers Four women featured in Episode 9, with a brief appearance in Episode 1. They live apparently in the same apartment complex and share stories and gossip together. In this particular episode they talk about various stories heard about the Lil' Slugger, all represented in different animated segments. The stories start out feasible enough, compared to what the viewer has become used to by this point, but eventually the stories begin to get rather ridiculous. The newest addition to this group, Kamohara, often tries to get in on the conversation with a story of her own but is often chastised by the other women unfairly. Eventually, her husband, a scriptwriter, is attacked by the Lil' Slugger and Kamohara, so desperate to fit in, asks her dying husband what happened so she can have a story to tell the others, demanding information while he lies bleeding on the floor. The three buildings of the apartment complex in which the gossipers live form the shape of the abbreviation "etc" when seen from above, as revealed at the end of the episode. "Etc." is the title of Episode 9, and, in English, is the commonly used abbreviation for the Latin phrase "etcetera," which means, "and so on" or "continuing." The Maromi anime team Saruta Sato Takamine Hiranuma Wanibuchi Kumakura Kanie Oda Kayama Tatsuta Featured in Episode 10, this is the animation team selected to do the upcoming Maromi-based anime. However, the animators begin to disappear one by one as Maromi herself treats the viewers to a person to person description of the Japanese animation process. Often considered the most warped and disturbing episode of the series. The story follows Saruta, an incompetent member of the team who is constantly being verbally, mentally and physically abused for his mistakes. Saruta seems to be the only worker who likes Maromi a lot, and can be seen in Maromi merchandise. The other people in the team who actually appear in the episode are all thought to have been killed by Lil' Slugger, but towards the end of the episode it hints that Saruta may have been the culprit, finally snapping after his mistreatment from the team. Saruta hits the Production Manager with a gold bat and he takes the finished episode of Maromi, and drives to the TV station. On his way, he is constantly scared by Lil' Slugger, either in his deluded state or in reality, but either way it results in his death. "Saruta" bears a resemblance to the Japanese word for monkey, "Saru." Saruta looks somewhat like a monkey, and his coworkers, especially the production manager, give him no peace over this. Minor characters Characters who play a supporting role in the story. Akihiko Ryu Akihiko is a professor at a university, and employs Harumi as an assistant. He eventually falls in love with her and proposes to her, which she accepts. However, at this point, Akihiko is not aware of Harumi's disorder, much less Maria's existence. Later in the series, however, it is heavily implied that he has become aware of Harumi's disorder. Masashi Kamei A bespectacled, obese and stereotypical otaku, this character is first seen briefly being interviewed in the first episode, and then as one of Maria's "clients." Initially seen as someone with a bad case of agalmatophilia, Masashi becomes similar to Tsukiko in that he converses with inanimate objects, in his case the anime figurines around his home which come to life. He also plays a role similar to that of the Mysterious Old Man in that he has an ambiguous part to play in the show's events. He makes figurines that are modeled after the characters from other episodes, including himself. Of interesting note, he is the first person in the series to be wearing a piece of Maromi merchandise, namely his shirt. Maromi merchandise slowly appears more frequently as the series progresses, and perhaps Masashi has some connection to the bizarre events which occur because of the hysteria triggered by the merchandise. Like his story however, this too is unexplained. That his, Maniwa's, Tsukiko's, the Old Man's, and other characters' delusions all seem to be able to interact with each other suggests that, in the world of Paranoia Agent, things that are "unreal" are "real" and manifestable with strong enough belief and "delusion." These delusions can sometimes be paranoid and sometimes fantastic, but the important thing is that they are as real as anything else in the right hands. Makabe Makabe is the yakuza enforcer extorting money back from Masami Hirukawa. He continually raises the level of the debt whenever Hirukawa is unable to repay the full amount on the spot. Makabe is seen in the last episode as well: he is looking at his TV screen which has just shut off due to the emotional blob that is eating the city. The goo bursts out of the screen and covers him. In the back, you can see a young boy in his bed, suggesting that Makabe was a pederast. Hatamura Hatamura is Tsukiko's direct superior at her job. He is a somewhat large, effeminate, and flamboyant man with a generally jovial demeanor. After the success of Maromi, he gently pressures Tsukiko to create her next character design (to no avail). When Tsukiko is first attacked, he reacts with concern, although later he participates in workplace gossip about her. After a long period in which Tsukiko fails to submit a new character design, and being pressured by his own direct superior about the matter, he snaps on Tsukiko, eschewing his usual effeminate behavior to reveal a gruff, bitter man who physically threatens Tsukiko. After his moment of weakness, he feels ashamed and apologizes to Tsukiko, driving off. He immediately gets into an accident, caused by Lil' Slugger. He dies with a smile on his face, suggesting that he, like multiple victims before him, is relieved that Lil' Slugger attacked him. References Paranoia Agent Category:Paranoia Agent